Ken Jeong

When The Hangover was released in 2009, nobody was expecting much from the comedy starring three under-the-radar actors — which is exactly why the surprisingly hilarious and original film took the world by storm and killed it at the box office. Fast-forward four years, and we're upon the release of The Hangover Part III, which suffers from the opposite effect. The film is highly anticipated by fans hoping to re-create the magic of the original (and forget Part II), but aside from a few sporadic laughs, the film is another disappointing installment in a franchise that should have quit while it was ahead.

I have to give some credit to director Todd Phillips, who at least tried to go in a new direction with Part III. The "what happened last night?" formula showcased in the first two films is left behind this time, favoring a straight plotline centered on Alan (Zach Galifianakis) hitting rock bottom and the Wolfpack setting off on a road trip to get him to rehab. You don't need me to tell you that the plan goes terribly awry when Doug (Justin Bartha) is taken hostage and the guys are tasked with tracking down the elusive Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). What you may not expect is that the story is so uneven that I actually found myself missing all the blacked-out-drunken drama. Without that element, it feels like one of the characters is missing from the movie.

To see what else I thought of The Hangover Part III, just read more

Director Michael Bay trades in the Transformers for body builders in his latest (and definitely not greatest), Pain & Gain. The movie is based on the morbidly outlandish true story of the Sun Gym Gang, headed by Miami personal trainer Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg). Obsessed with the American Dream but sick of working hard while catering to the rich and famous, Daniel hatches a plan to capture and extort one of his wealthy clients (Tony Shalhoub). The extraordinary real details of the case (think explosions, barbecued body parts, and a stripper who believes she's been invited to join the CIA) are bizarre and fascinating. It's a shame the movie is so overloaded with silly, gratuitous slow-motion shots and over-the-top action sequences that the style overshadows the story.

The film takes place in the early '90s in Miami, and the vibrant colors reflect the era but not the dark story that Pain & Gain is telling. When manipulative Daniel convinces ex-addict Paul (Dwayne Johnson) and roided-out pal Adrian (Anthony Mackie) to help him with his plan, the ensuing disaster is gruesome, dark, and depressing. What nobody ever told Daniel is that to achieve success, you have to be smart as well as a hard worker. (Wahlberg does however, look amazing, even giving a tongue-in-cheek shout-out to his modeling days when he sports Calvin Klein briefs in one scene.) The movie could have ended several times before it does, but it just keeps going, as the details get progressively sloppier and the plot holes keep piling up. Get more of my thoughts on Pain & Gain after the jump.

Community's Ken Jeong has had a heck of a Summer after starring in two of the highest-grossing movies of the season, The Hangover Part II and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Now he's about to return to the small screen for a third season of Community as the polarizing Chang, and we had a chance to chat with him at the Summer TCA. He hinted about Chang's different direction and gushed over how much he loves doing the show, how grateful and happy he is, and how people like Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper have touched his life.

BuzzSugar: You just had two hit movies this Summer — is Community enough for you now?
Ken Jeong: This is the happiest I've been in my career. We just started shooting last Monday, and it was just picking up from where we left off. We're so happy we're coming back for another year. We genuinely love each other. We genuinely love each other's company and I've missed working with the people every day. For me, it's an embarrassment of riches. For me, as a 42-year-old Asian doctor, this is the peak of my career. It won't get any better than this. This is everything I wanted to do and then some. I never ever imagined I would be working this much and being this known. It's because of the fans and because of the people I work with. I'm just so blessed in terms of industry and in terms of the fans.

Buzz: Last year you gave the most impassioned speech at the MTV Movie Awards about that being a high point in your career, especially in light of your wife beating cancer. Are you still feeling that way?
KJ: She's still a doctor, and I used to be a doctor, and all our close friends are doctors. We're like, is this really happening? You can't believe it. We personally live the same lives that we lived years ago when we were physicians. As I say it out loud, it's still surreal. I was happy being the doctor from Knocked Up, alright? That was like, amazing. If that were to be the last thing I'd do, it would be a life well spent in the arts. So to be Mr. Chow and [star in] two Hangovers, a third season of Community and to be in Transformers? Come on, it's ridiculous. It's an embarrassment of riches. And what I like about it is that I really love acting and I feel like I'm getting better at it. That's the important thing; I love what I'm doing, and I'm getting better at the craft. Like I'm improving and naturally pushing myself to do this in a great way. [This is] the best way to sum it up in the last two years: [director] Todd Phillips on Hangover, after I did a scene with Paul Giamatti, said, "I don't know what's happened the past couple years, but you're like a much better actor than you were the first movie." And he goes, "How is that?" I go, "It's because of two seasons of Community." It's just made me a better actor.

To find out what else the actor had to say about Chang and whether Jeong will be back for The Hangover 3, keep reading.